The government has decided to deploy 12,000 Ansar members, in phases, at 993 vulnerable points of different highways across the country to ensure law safety of vehicles.
The decision came at an inter-ministerial meeting in the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges yesterday.
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader briefed reporters about the decision after the meeting.
“A total of 12,000 Ansar members will be deployed at 993 points on the highways. The process will start on Friday [today], with 2,592 Ansar members to be deployed at 216 points. Twelve Ansar members will be stationed at each point, working in two shifts.”
He said the decision was taken in a bid to ensure safe journey of the passengers during the blockade.
Earlier on January 12, Bangladesh Railway authorities deployed 8,000 Ansar members at 831 risky points across the country to ensure safe travelling of the trains. “We have decided to hold rallies around the country with the help of the local lawmakers and other public representatives to build up awareness,” the minister said.
The BNP-led 20-party alliance has been enforcing the nationwide roads and waterways blockade since January 5.
“According to Bangladesh Road Transport Authority, at least 40 people have died from arson attacks; among them, 15 were transport workers. Scores of other have been injured in different parts of the country in violence, most of them arson attacks,” Obaidul said.
“At least 325 vehicles were destroyed by arson attacks and 500 vehicles vandalised across the country.”
Asked about security during the upcoming SSC examinations, the minister said: “Our initiative will be to ensure security to the SSC examinees.”
In face of public demand, the government has planned to take a number of security measures in order to ensure people’s security. It announced rewards for catching anarchists responsible for violence during hartal and blockades.
The BNP chairperson called the non-stop blockade on January 5 after she was barred from coming out of her Gulshan political office. BNP said she was “confined,” but the government claimed she was free to go home.
Police kept extremely tight security in place around Khaleda’s Gulshan office for 16 days.
The security was relaxed on January 12, but Khaleda never came out. Instead, she said at a press conference that she was going to stay in her party office and the blockade would continue unless the government took the first steps towards solution. l
